Illuminated changeable sign.



L. H. JONES. ILLUMINATED CHANGEABLE SIGN. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 27,1913.

1,1 14,267. Patented 001;.20, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

UNTED STA-Tias PATENT OFFICE.,

LENORA H. JONFS, 0F WICHITA, KANSAS.

ILLUMINATED CHANGEABLE SIGN.

Specication of Letters Patent.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LENORA H. JONES, citizenof the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick andState of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inIlluminated Changeable Signs, of which t-he following is a s ecicaton.

T is invention relates to illuminated signs, and .its object is toprovide a simple and eiicient talking sign which is capable of a greatvariety of uses and can be arranged to show a large number of differentwords and sentences,v designs, pictur nd the like. I am aware that suchresults have been here.- tofore produced by means of banks of electriclamps controlled by rotary switches which close the circuits ofdifferent groups of lamps in succession so as to light up those necessarto show the desired letters or designs. y invention diers from thesedevices in thatno elaborate system of circuits is necessary, but onlytwo perforated plates, one movable with respect to the other in lordertoVbring certain' perforations into alinement and' permit light from asuitable source to shine through the alined perfora- 'tions,vthusproducing in outline a letter,

' drawings, in whichword `or device.

In carrying my invention into practical effect, I pre erably make thefront plate stationary, and arrange the rear plate to move relativelythereto, ypreferably in such -a manner as to revolve without rotation so`front plate, and by making perforations in said circles at suitablepoints, they will coincide With the holes in the front plate at certainpoints in the revolution of the rear plate, and thus permit the light toshineout.

The details of one embodiment of my invention are shown in theaccompanying Figure l is a front elevation of the sign. Fig. 2 is alrear elevation partly in section, taken on the line' 2-2, Fig. 3. Fig.3 is a cross section, taken on the line 3 2, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is aperspective view showing the operating mechanism. Fig. 5 shows-one ofthe plugs for shutting up those perforations that are not needed.1 Fig.6, Fig. 7 and Fig.

8L are frnt elevations showing Ithe holes in thefront plate throughwhich the light is Vtion following the word"So.

permitted to shine in producing the` Words Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application led Hay 27, 1913. Serial No. 770,165.

Itis so, and Fig. 9 shows a modified drivmechanism. he Workin ablecasing, w. ich has a front plate l containing a plurality of holes 2,regularly spaced apart in rows, and preferably provided with lenses asshown. In the drawing I have shown tive rows of nine holes each, but itis evident that the number is limited only by the size ofthe sign andthe area of displacement oit the movable rearv plate 3. This lies closeto the front plate and is provided with a plurality of perforations 4,which are seen to be arranged in small groups, one for .each of theholesI 2. The perforations in each group are arranged in a circle, asshown. In the drawings, each circle has four perforations 4, but it isevident that this number mayA be-increased up to eight, ten or evenmore, if the dimensions of the sign permit. The number of perforationsdetermines the number of changes which can be made in one cycle ofoperations of the sign. Thus in the sign illusparts are inclosed in asuittrated, four changes are possible, but the to indicate the end ofthe sequence. Each small circle of perforations is complete, butthose-perforations which are not needed to spellthe selected words canbe blanked oil' by any suitable shutter, such as the stoppers 5. Therear plate shown in Fig. 2 has a proper number of perforations left opento enable it to spell the words It is so, in its three positionssucceeding the one in which it is shown, which is thedark on blank posi-The arrangements of dark and light holes producing these words are shownrespectively 1n Figs 6 7 and 8.

`The rear plate is suspended 1n any'suitable manner, as by means of thehangers 6 from crank pins 7 on two wheels 8 suitably- ]'ournaled on thestuds 9 projecting -from the back '10 of the casing. In order to 'rotateYthese Wheels synchronously, step by step,

eachV wheel is provided with 'a pawl and ratchet device, preferablyconsisting of four as an electric motor l'drivingby worm gearing a disk16` carrying a wrist pin 17 connected by a pitman 18 to the rod 13. A

detent spring 19. bears against the underside of two of said pins tohold the wheels and rear plate steady during its periods of rest. As themotor slowly revolves the disk, the pawls will engage the pins on thewheels and give them a quarter revolution, the Wheels remainingstationary while the rod is being drawn back to enable the pawls toengage thenext pins. The pawls being pivoted will rise and slide overthe pins when the rod is retracted after completing its actuatingstroke. It is evident that other equivalent means could be substitutedfor the rod, pavvls and pins to eii'ect the intermittent rotation of theWheels.

The rear plate, being hung from the crank pins on the wheels, partakesof their movement, so that each point thereon is thus moved in a circleof the same diameter as that described by Vsaid crank pins, whichcorresponds with the circles in which the perforations 4 are grouped.During each period of rest, one of the perforations in each of the smallcircles will register with its hole in the front plate, and if there isno stopper in said perforation, the light from a row -of electric lamps20 will shine out through said perforation and hole. The back of thecasing can be painted White or provided with a reflecting surface,.suchas white paint, so as to intensify the light passv ing outJ through theholes in the front plate.

Now let the perfor-ations in the rear plate be designated by thereference letters a, b, c, d, similar perforations in each circle beingdesignated by the same letter. Suppose all the perforations lettered aare in alinement with theholes in the front plate, and that all the aperforations are closed except those shown as left open in `Fig. 2.Under these circumstances, the Word It will be seen by any one lookingat the front plate, the word being outlined by thelight coming throughthe holes 2 which are alined with the open perforations a., Lei; themotor be started, and reciprocate the rod so as to cause a quarterrevolution of the Wheels and a shift of the rear plate to a position inwhich all the b perforations will aline with the holes in the frontplate. With all the b perforations closed except those shown open inFig. 2 the observer will see the word Isv shining through the frontplate. The rear plate rests in this position until the motor causes therod to shift it another quarter revolution in its circle of movement.This brings all the c perforations in line with the holes in the frontplate, and if only those perforations are left open which appear in Fig.2, the Word So will be seen. The next actuation of the plate brings itto the position shown in Fig. 2 in which. all the d perforations alinewith the holes in the front plate. As allthese perforations are closed,no effect will be produced in this position of the rear plate, but theinterval of rest between the last word So and the repetition of the wordIt will be three times as long as between the other \vords,'wl1ich makesit easier for an observer to determine the beginning and ending of thesentence.

By opening the proper perforations in the rear plate any other Words oftwo letters may be shown, or some Adesign or designs may be substitutedfor the words, if desired. If a three times interval between the Wordsis not desired, some of the d. perforations may be utilized to spell afourth word; or all the d perforations might be thrown open at the endof the three Word sentence. The change from one sentence to another canbe quickly effected by shifting the stoppers or other closing devices'which control the passage of light through the perforations in the rearplate.

By a slight modification of the driving mechanism the rear plate can becaused to move continuously instead of intermittingly; in Which case itcan be used to display designs having parts which apparently are inmotion. Such a modification is indicated in Fig. 9 where'the Wheels 8are provided with sprocket; teeth and are engaged by an endless chainbelt 22 driven by a sprocket 23 geared to the motor.

It is thus apparent that by simple devices I have produced a tallcingsign capable of a vast variety of changes, which entirely avoids thenecessity for an expensive and lcomplicated rotary switch for lightingand extinguishing electric lamps; a sign which is comparatively cheap tobuild, and which can' be easily. operated and kept in repair. It can beused as a street sign, or in shop Windows.

Colored effects may be obtained by using colored lenses in the holes 2or byproviding colored transparent shutters 24 for Vclosing said holesin place of the Stoppers, as shown in the lower part of 5, the shutterbeing a frame pivoted to the plate 3 adjacent to the hole and carrying atransparent colored center portion which will register with said holewhen said shutter is swung over it.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent; in theUnited States is:-

1 An illuminated sign comprising two relatively movable plates, oneprovided with arfplurality of holes, and the other provided withperforations arranged in a plurality of simllar groups, means forclosing any one or more of said perforations at will, and means forcausing corresponding perforations in the several groups to comesimultaneously into alinement with the holes in the first named late. el

2. An illuminated sign Y comprising stationary plate provided with aplurality of holes, a movable plate adjacent Vthereto 3. An illuminatedand provided with perforations arranged in a plurality of similargroups, one group for each of the holes in the stationarylate, and meansfor giving said movable p ate a revolving movement to bring saidperforations successively intoalinement with sai d holes.

n comprising a front plate provided irligth a plurality of holesefllially spaced apart, a rear plate adjacent t ereto and provided witha. plurality of similar groups of perforations equally i `spaced apartin circles of the same diameter,

and means for giving .said rear plate a revolving motion in a circle ofthe same di- 15 ameter as the groups.

4. An illuminated sign comprising a stationary plate provided with aplurality of holes, a movable late arran ed adjacent thereto and providwith per orations arranged in circles of the same diameter, and meansfor giv ing said movable plate anintermittent revolving motion, to bringsaid perforations successively into alinement with said holes, and toallow an interval of reist between every two positions of said p ate.

In testimon whereof I aix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

LENORAA H. JONES. Witnesses:

GEO. H. BURNS, M. S. C. Momn'rr.

